The Dartmouth school population has shrunk by over 120 students from just a year ago. If you factor out the Voke enrollment (which we pay for but don't have to provide classroom space or teachers for those students) the enrollment is down over 140 students. These number represent about a 3% reduction ...
...in the student population year over year.School .........07-08......08-09.......Change
DeMello ......... 428.........453...........+25
Potter........... 469.........465...........-4
Quinn............ 965.........873......... -92
Middle........... 1,065.......1,029......... -36
High............. 1,245.......1,213......... -32
Pre-School...... 61........56............ -5
Local School Enrollment > Local Change Yr/Yr > -144
Total.................4,233.......4,089
Dartmouth Voke [Sept] Enrollment> Voke Change Yr/Yr > +23
Voke..................188.........211
Total Dartmouth Student Population > Total change -121
Total..................4,421.......4,300
The elementary schools have 71 fewer students. Increases at DeMello and decreases at Quinn are due to reallocation of students for the purpose of reducing the population at Quinn.
The net effect on budgets next year is that our required minimum net school spending will decrease (because we have fewer students) and our Voke assessment will increase (because we have more students).
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
School enrollment decreases
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13 comments:
So how does the Voke assessment and the decline in students affect the school budget?
It's no wonder enrollment decreased...those that could afford it went private in order to get a "good" education. They went to schools where there are textbooks AND teachers. Technology AND library directors. Foreign languages, sports AND music. They went where they can get a quality, well-rounded education. Those that cannot afford the private schools are left trying to squeak out a palatable education from the Dartmouth system.
If we paid our school staff the same as places like Friends' Academy, we could afford to give our children much more also. We are in the worst national fiscal crisis since the Great Depression. The schools are getting around $37million this year. Deal with it!
anon 11:49 So it would seem you agree that private schools provide a better education. Then how are they able to pay their teachers much less if the arguement is that you have to pay more to get good people?
Charter schools are popping up all over the country and with good reason. No teachers' union to deal with. Private and charter schools do not pay the salaries that public schools do and yet they are successful. They are providing a quality education with quality teachers. The biggest donation to oppose question 1 on the Massachusetts ballot came from the Washington DC teachers' union. What does that tell you?
Just came from Phil Lenz's blog. Seems he has thrown in the towel. That didn't take long.
Bill you deserve much credit for sticking with this blog. As Phil now knows, you have to put up with a lot of crap but the information you provide is appreciated.
As a current member of the School Building and Renovation Committee
(formed in 2006) these numbers are not surprising to me. The enrollments have slowly been dropping each year, (usually in single numbers) but the decrease as noted in this blog is quite high. As mentioned many times, this just adds cement to the concept of not needing the Cushman or Gidley schools re-opened and no need for a new school.
There should however be discussions about adding an addition to Potter, this will help the northern end of town. Its nice to see enrollment numbers provided to the public. Now perhaps many can make an educated decision based on facts. Thanks Bill !
I agree with Mr Lenz. The sort of exchange that occured is uncalled for and unproductive on both sides. Perhaps he felt that if this was how it was going to be why continue.
This is something that Dartmouth should be saddened by. Families and children translate to growth, vibrancy and the future of a community. A decreasing school age population means parents with children are no longer seeing Dartmouth as a place that is supportive of their children. I am sure this blog has no shortage of where it will place blame for that but regardless of the blame, the sad fact is that the negative impact is on the children.
As many have said, parents of school age children in the town of Dartmouth are a minority so who cares? Politicians must listen to the majority their constituencies and we minority parents get it so we are either moving our kids to other schools if we can afford it or just plain moving out of town altogether.
Here for the long haul, hope for more education support though. It seems so petty to fight education funding. Why? What is the purpose to be anti-education system and infrastructure and staff.
ANOTHER THOUGHT ON DECREASING POPULATION. MANY OF OUR EDUCATED CHILDREN CANNOT COME BACK TO THE AREA TO LIVE BECAUSE OF LACK OF HIGH TECH JOB AND THE COST OF LIVING HERE AND IN THE STATE.
Tell me anonymous 6:07 where else in the state will you be living cheaper than Dartmouth? Maybe outside Massachusetts, but not Rhode Island, not New Hampshire or Maine either. High tech jobs? They go where there are highly educated people to fill them. Think Boston, Cambridge, think Seattle, Raleigh/Durham, Atlanta. Ask any HR recruiter for high tech or medical type industry what they look for when searching out locations for new facilities - they will tell you 'A pool of highly educated people from which to draw talent'. Is it any wonder they don't come here?
To the school building committee member who feels the decreased enrollment 'cements' the wisdom of closing schools, I think you've got the sequence backwards. Close the schools creating overcrowded conditins in the remaining buildings and people make the choice to leave the system because of the overcrowded conditions created by the closing of the buildings. After the first full year of closures we see a mass exodus (Unlike any other according to one 12 year SC member) from the system. People tried the 'new way' for a year to see how it would work out and guess what? Many decided to leave. Not rocket science.
I agree with Anon 8:01 . where else would you live but here? I live a comfortable home valued around 300,000 and pay less than 2k in property tax. My mother in CT lives in a similiar home paying 9k. my co-workers live in southern RI and pay 3.5k to 5k for similiar homes. This tells me its not expensive to live here unless you have more home than you can afford.
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